Zamba
Zembola,
the son of a king of a small community in the Congo, was born in about
1780. When he was in his early twenties he was invited by a Captain
Winton, to accompany him to America on his slave ship. After arriving
in America, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave.
Zamba worked on a plantation for over forty years before he managed
to achieve his freedom. His autobiography, The
Life and Adventures of Zamba, an African King,
was published in 1847.
(1)
Zamba
Zembola, The Life and Adventures of Zamba and African Slave
(1847)
Captain Winton told me in the course of our voyage, that, in the early
part of his experience in the slave-trade, he had seen slaves where
they were literally packed on the top of each other; and consequently,
from ill air, confinement, and scanty or unwholesome provision, disease
was generated to such an extent that in several cases he had known
only one-half survive to the end of the voyage; and these, as he termed
it, in a very unmarketable condition. He found, therefore, that, by
allowing them what he called sufficient room and good provisions,
with kind treatment, his speculations turned out much better in regard
to the amount of dollars received; and that was all he cared for.
After being about 15 days out to sea a heavy squall struck the ship.
The poor slaves below, altogether unprepared for such an occurrence,
were mostly thrown to the side, where they lay heaped on the top of
each other; their fetters rendered many of them helpless, and before
they could be arranged in their proper places, and relived from their
pressure on each other, it was found that 15 of them were smothered
or crushed to death. The captain seemed considerably vexed; but the
only grievance to him was the sudden loss of some five or six thousand
dollars.
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